Geneva

PIF granted Permanent Observer Status to UN in Geneva

Mere Falemaka, the Permanent Representative in the Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) presented her letter of appointment as Observer to the UNOG in Geneva Tuesday to the UNOG Director General Michael Moller.

The regional representative’s office will now be known as the Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and other international organizations in Geneva.

Geneva: 500 euro notes found flushed down toilets

The €500 (£440; $600) notes were cut up and found in the toilets of a branch of the bank UBS and in three nearby restaurants.

Thousands of francs have reportedly been spent on plumbing repairs to unclog the surrounding pipes.

The high-value euro notes are due to be withdrawn in 2018 over fears they facilitate illegal activities.

They will remain legal tender, but the European Central Bank will stop producing them following a European Commission inquiry into their use.

Pacific concern relayed at UN over West Papua abuses

The 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, was told that Indonesia has not curtailed or halted various widespread violations.

Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal was speaking on behalf of his country and six other Pacific nations: Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands

UNCTAD urges PNG to establish mission in Geneva

When having a bilateral meeting on the margins of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Leader’s Summit in Port Moresby with Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru on Tuesday, Dr Kituyi says this matter must be of priority to ensure that the internationally agreed outcomes are responsive to the country’s needs and challenges.

This requires permanent and consistent presence in Geneva. The stakes are not just timely for the present but also for the future.